Mikir - Religion and Expressive Culture

Religious Beliefs.
The Mikir acknowledge the existence of a number of divinities, though
temples, shrines, and other places and objects of worship are lacking in
their villages. Worship is not directed toward trees or animals.
Individuals may be in the possession of
bor
(amulets or fetishes) of stone or metal that are believed capable of
bringing good or bad luck. The gods are called upon and animals
sacrificed to ensure good fortune and to avoid negative circumstances.
Some of the more important members of the Mikir pantheon are: Arnam
Kethe, the "Great God," who, though a household god,
actually lives in Heaven and receives sacrifice once in three years;
Peng, a household god who actually resides within the home; Hemphu, the
"householder," who "owns" all of the Mikir
people; Rek-anglong, the local deity identified with the hill upon which
a village is located; and Arnam Paro, the "hundred god,"
who is, perhaps, a composite figure made up of all of the gods who are a
prominent part of the annual Rongker festival. In addition to the
aforementioned gods, there are others (e.g., Chomang-ase, "Khasi
fever"; Ajo-ase, "night fever"; and So-mene,
"evil pain") who are identified with specific diseases. In
addition, natural features of an impressive nature (e.g., sun, moon,
mountains, waterfalls) have divinities identified with them, though
those of a celestial nature are not the objects of propitiatory
sacrifice. Christianity has had little impact on the world view of the
Mikir. Evidence of Hindu influence, however, may be noted.

Religious Practitioners.
The diviner is the major Mikir Religious practitioner. The generic
designation for the office is
uche,
when held by a male, or
uche-pi,
when held by a female. Of these there are two classes. The first is the
sang-kelang abang,
or "man who looks at rice," who exercises this office
after a period of instruction and practice. The second is the
lodet
or
lodet-pi,
a female practitioner who dispatches her Duties while under the
influence of supernatural forces.

Ceremonies.
Communal celebrations include the following: the Rongker (annual
village festival held either at the Beginning of the cultivation season
in June or in the cold season); a harvest-home celebration; and the
occasional Rongker-pi ("great Rongker") held on special
occasions (e.g., to expel man-eating tigers) and attended by an entire
mauza. Several ritualized behavioral restrictions (called
gennas
in Assamese) are also observed.

Arts.
In addition to articles that have a utilitarian or ornamental purpose
(e.g., domestic utensils, clothing, and jewelry), musical instruments
are also produced. Music and dancing are said to accompany the
harvest-home celebration and burial rites. Tattooing is also practiced
by Mikir women (a perpendicular line applied with indigo extending from
the middle of the forehead to the chin). The oral literature of the
Mikir includes myths and folktales.

Medicine.
Prolonged illness is believed to be caused either by witchcraft or the
malevolent action of supernaturals. The services of male and female
diviners (the sang-kelang abang and the lodet or lodet-pi, respectively)
are required to alleviate the malady, by discerning who has cast the
spell or what the divine forces are that need to be propitiated.

Death and Afterlife.
The burial cult of the Mikir is designed to insure that the deceased
gain entrance into the underworld abode of the dead, which is ruled by
Jom Recho, the "Lord of Spirits." Those whose burials are
not accompanied by the proper ceremonies do not gain admittance. The
deceased remain in Jom-arong, "Jom's town," until
they are reborn on Earth as children. This belief in reincarnation is an
apparent borrowing from the Hindu neighbors of the Mikir.

User Contributions:

Being a Karbi(then Mikir)I could realize whole the things narrated in the notes above found almost correct. Some spelling errors are found. Any way I hope this notes will be a great help to the new generation researchers.

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